Customise Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorised as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyse the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customised advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyse the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

Tragic Nigeria Airstrike: Military Accidentally Kills 16 Civilians

Investigating the Aftermath

0

In Nigeria’s northwestern Zamfara State, a military air strike has reportedly killed at least 16 civilians, who were allegedly mistaken for armed criminal groups.

Local residents informed media outlets that the victims were part of community vigilante groups and civilians who were defending themselves against notorious gangs known for kidnapping individuals for ransom. The air strikes specifically targeted militant factions in the Zurmi and Maradun regions.

Following the incident, the state governor, Dauda Lawal, expressed his condolences to the affected community.

The military has confirmed the air strikes, claiming they delivered “a decisive blow” to the bandits that have been terrorizing local villages. The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) stated it is looking into the “reports of vigilante casualties” and conveyed concerns regarding the loss of civilian lives during the operation.

In their statement, they mentioned that they had successfully eliminated several bandits and rescued some kidnapping victims and promised a thorough investigation to uncover the facts of the incident, which would be communicated to the public for transparency and reassurance.

According to a local resident, the civilians were returning to their homes after chasing away bandits when the bombing occurred. Sa’idu Ibrahim reported that villagers retrieved 16 bodies from the aftermath and transported several others with serious injuries to the hospital.

Amnesty International Nigeria reported a death toll of 20, stating that many others sustained injuries during the attack on Tunga Kara village. The organization called for an immediate and impartial investigation into the incident, criticizing the air raids as an unacceptable law enforcement measure.

They condemned the “reckless use of deadly force” as unlawful and highlighted the military’s alarming disregard for civilian lives.

In recent years, Nigeria’s security forces have faced challenges from powerful criminal groups, known as bandits, who have inflicted fear in the northwest and central states.

These gangs have been engaged in village raids, arson, and abduction of residents for ransom. There have been several accidental air strikes in recent months, including a Christmas Day incident in neighboring Sokoto state that resulted in the deaths of at least 10 civilians.

Additionally, in 2023, at least 85 civilians, predominantly women and children, were killed while attending a Muslim religious gathering in Kaduna state when they were misidentified as bandits. In January 2017, a tragic air strike killed at least 112 people at a camp housing 40,000 displaced individuals near the Cameroonian border.

Source: BBC

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.